The Wonders Outside

A micro-dwelling tucked away in Andorra’s Incles Valley, one of Europe’s most hidden vales, L’Ovella Negra Mountain Lodge offers a quiet escape surrounded by nothing other than nature itself. In the summer months, the valley is closed to vehicles, offering unparalleled rugged bliss and direct access to iconic routes, including the Incles Pass and the Roc de l’home dret trail. Other natural wonders nearby are Estany de Juclá, the largest lake in Andorra, Ransol Valley, and Montaup Valley. 

With unbeatable views of the Dolomites, Vigilius Mountain Resort in Lana, South Tyrol, acts as a perfect jumping-off point for mountainous adventures. Near to the hotel are countless cycling and hiking routes lined with pine trees, forests, and wooden gabled farmhouses, including the Tappeinerweg trail, a 19th-century landscaped botanical trail with over 400 labeled species. The property’s building also reflects its surroundings through architect Matteo Thun’s guiding principle of organic architecture, with natural shapes, wood, and glass bridging the interiors with the outside.

The Drake Devonshire in Wellington, Canada, is situated lakeside in one of the country’s most picturesque regions. With bikes available to explore the area, guests can visit local vineyards or lounge on the sandy shores of Lake Ontario at Sandbanks Provincial Park, which is also home to the largest bay-mouth barrier dune formation in the world. Here, guests can relax with a good book, go swimming, canoeing, kayaking, or fishing, as well as visit a number of up-and-coming wineries nearby, including Rosehall Run, Karlo Estates, Lighthall, and Hubb’s Creek.

Also defined in the summer months by its proximity to crystal-clear lakes is The Hide Hotel Films. The high-style retreat, hidden in the heart of the Swiss Alps, encourages the exploration of Laax, Lake Cauma, and Lake Cresta, three idyllic spots for swimming, rowing, and stand-up paddle boarding. The Flims Laax Falera area is renowned for its skiing and snowboarding in the winter, although the towering mountains are also the perfect place for a hiker’s, biker’s, or climber’s dreams to come true in warmer seasons.

Situated precisely where fire meets ice, the Ion Adventure Hotel in Selfoss, Iceland, provides both eco-conscious luxury and boundless opportunities to explore the best of Iceland directly from the front door. The building sits atop pillars, jutting out from the slopes of Mount Hengill, an active volcano, over a mossy green lava field with dramatic views of Lake Thingvallavatn and surrounding mountains; the Northern Lights Bar is housed in a glass cage protruding from the end of the building, offering ideal aurora borealis viewing; and nearby is everything from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Thingvellir National Park to craggy rock land to glimmering lakes. Like the name suggests, it’s an unrivaled launchpad for adventurers.

At Les Andéols, in Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, the heart of Provence, France, 19 villas are spread among a 32-hectare natural estate. Floor-to-ceiling windows open over the vast landscape and rolling hills, as the grounds are perched on the edge of the Vaucluse Mountains. Guests can rent bicycles onsite or wander by foot through the estate’s impressive footprint, discovering a vegetable garden, multiple pools, tennis courts, fields of lavender and olive trees, and much more along the way.

Despite its urban location, Tokyo’s K5 was created under the theme of “existing with nature in the city.” Here, the natural world is brought inside, with guests encountering lush greenery throughout the property: giant ferns adorn the Coffee Stand; cacti, palms, and other small trees bring life into all guest accommodations; and some rooms even feature natural cedar wood ceilings.

Nature is an inherent part of the experience at Maison Couturier in San Rafael, Veracruz, Mexico. Surrounded by banana plantations, lemon groves, and tropical vegetation, the hotel features 15 bungalows with terraces equipped with hammocks, multiple outdoor pools, an open-air restaurant, and complimentary bikes. The Gulf of Mexico coastline is only a stone’s throw away, and Veracruz is also home to the country’s highest peak, the dormant volcano Pico de Orizaba. The dramatically changing landscape, with the ocean to the east and mountains to the west, offers guests the best of various outdoor worlds. 

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